The yellow jester does not play…
In the court of the Crimson King.

King Crimson’s “Court of the Crimson King” was never on the radio, and that is unfortunate. This song is amazing. It is only slightly more out there than Stairway to Heaven, Good Vibrations, or Like a Rolling Stone and about the same length.

The song would make for a great music video where the lyrics were animated literally. Imagine some sort of medieval play being reenacted. It is something like a cross between Alice and Wonderland and Dante’s Inferno.

It is difficult to say if there is some underlying symbolism in the lyrics. If there is supposed to be one, it is two layers too removed for my taste. Anyways, it works as it is. The imagery of a guy wandering around and seeing crazy things works great.

Court Of The Crimson King Lyrics

The rusted chains of prison moons
Are shattered by the sun
I walk a road horizons change
The tournament’s begun
The purple piper plays his tune
The choir softly sing
Three lullabies in an ancient tongue
For the court of the crimson king

The keeper of the city keys
Puts shutters on the dreams
I wait outside the pilgrim’s door
With insufficient schemes
The black queen chants the funeral march
The cracked brass bells will ring
To summon back the fire witch
To the court of the crimson king

The gardener plants an evergreen
Whilst trampling on a flower
I chase the wind of a prism ship
To taste the sweet and sour
The pattern juggler lifts his hand
The orchestra begin
As slowly turns the grinding wheel
In the court of the crimson king

On soft grey mornings widows cry
The wise men share a joke
I run to grasp divining signs
To satisfy the hoax
The yellow jester does not play
But gently pulls the strings
And smiles as the puppets dance
In the court of the crimson king

written by Ian McDonald of King Crimson